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Re: [cc2-l] Erasing Outlining
Date: 6/30/00 7:25:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Dorzil
ZENABII writes:
<<1. Freeze all the layers except the layer with the continent.
2. Click the Erase icon.
3. Right click and select Color
4. Type "0" for the color black
NOTE: A different outline color will have a different color. You can find this out by using Info > List and clicking on the outline before you begin to erase the outline.
5. Right click and select Do it.>>
Follow these directions again, but in step 3, select Entity Tag #(you can find this out by using List and looking under the entry that uses the color 0(black). You type in the entity tag # hit return(it should select the outline)then Right click and select Do it.
Re: [cc2-l] Too Many Nodes.
Date: 6/27/00 9:07:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Monsoon
A quickie to anyone else with the similar probs:
First, make a copy of the original file and tuck it out of harms way in a far off folder. Then, make two copies of the original file to work with.
Open a copy, then use the Edit button on the large poly and removed the Closed check. Now you can "trim" nodes by number. This doesn't get rid of them, mind, but it DOES protect them from modification. Now, select a node that will leave a big enough chunk to work with, the Tech lady said between 2000 and 4000 is the workable number due to various tech reasons. Seems I am a real freak with 10 000 nodes, so most will be just fine if you cut it in half (ie, if you have 6000 nodes, go from 0 to 3000). This will leave half your poly safe and sound.
Now, make a line on each end of the poly that meets the tail of the poly, usingthe Endpoint button. Now do some damage with the REDN (reduce nodes) on the curve you have showing. Let fly on it and reduce it as much as possible. Now go back to Edit, and close the poly again. This will bring all the points you have hidden away back. Use Split on the mutilated part, this will allow Trim to function. Now trim away the mutilated chunks using Trim To and use the lines you put in earlier as intersection points. Save the file. This cuts the poly in half.
Now open up the second copy, and do the same thing to the other half (ie. From node 3000 to 6000). That done, use Clipboard Copy to take this half, and paste it into the file that you first worked on, placing the endpoints together. Now hit multipoly, and join the two halves together. All is well and right in the world.
Also, you can break these down easily now with Split, allowing even more fractalizing etc, just don't let the node count get out there again.
Halfling wrote:
> Two suggestions:
> Is the coastline part of a multipoly that should be exploded? Considering the number of nodes, perhaps using REDN (to reduce the nodes), adding the additional nodes you would like, and then refractalizing is a possibility? (I would save your current work in progress to a 'backup' file before attempting this, in case.)>
> You may also wish to try using CTS (Curved to Straight), edit, and then STC (Straight to Curved) (if you were using smooth paths to create your coastline.)>
> As far as the number of nodes on a coastline: there has to be a limit (considering the entire map is residual in memory); attempting to split a spline into separate forms simply "cuts" it into two identical objects, with different "start" and "end" points. (Try it on a 4-node object, then EDIT both sections; you'll see what I'm trying to get at, here).>
Re: [cc2-l] Erasing Outlining
Date: 6/30/00 11:42:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: The Roach
> I think they're skipping a detail; Here we go:
> 1) click the "erase" button.
> 2) select the continent (this will highlight it)
> 3) right-click in the drawing area (this will bring up the Do It/Cancel menu)
>4) click "And" 5) re-right-click to get the Do It/Cancel menu 6) select Color 7) select black.
IIRC, the dedault in CC2 is 'group on insertion' which would, in this case, group the outline and the continent. So, don't forget to ungroup first!
RE: [cc2-l] Erasing Outlining
Date: 7/3/00 10:02:02 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
I would encourage everyone to use the short cuts. In the above example:
1) click the "erase" icon.
2) select the continent (this will highlight it)
3) Press BC type 0, press ENTER, D.
B (Both) is the shortcut for And - all the others are a little more obvious.
RE: [cc2-l] Couches
Date: 7/5/00 8:19:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Varicolor (Same as Symbol Color or the older Color 31) - Each symbols can have numerous parts made up of the varicolor color however, they will all be the same color. In other words - you can have 3 different layers with 3 different pieces of a symbol on each layers & they can all be varicolor, but - if you choose red & place the symbol all of the varicolor colors will be red. If you want to be able to color different parts of the symbol using varicolors you will need to split the symbol into 3 different symbols so you can choose different colors.
RE: [cc2-l] Redraws
Date: 7/7/00 12:56:23 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Info Menu >> List will tell you how many nodes are in an entity. Generally you would not want more than 2000 - 3000 nodes in a very large continent. Splines redraw much slower than paths. The redraw speed is directly related to the number of nodes.
Redraw tips:
1. Trees and Mountains are by far the most numerous and slowest symbols. Draw polygons to mark the forest and mountain areas and add these symbols to your map last.
2. Use larger symbols. It sounds simple, but if you use symbols that are twice as big, the redraw speed will be four times quicker. You can always paste maps together later.
3. Hide layers when you are not working on them.
Stopping redraws:
1. Resize the screen so that the task bar, when it pop ups only goes over the prompt area. This means you can raise the prompt bar to look at the time (etc.) without causing a redraw. CC2 remembers the window shape and size between setting. All you lose is a few pixels at the bottom of the screen.
2. A more powerful display card (lots of memory) eliminates almost all non-zooming redraws.
3. If Tooltips cause redraws, turn them off. Options Menu >>Preferences >> unselect Tooltips.
Reducing the number of redraws:
1. Minimize the use of scroll bars. Scroll bars are useful in navigating painted images and documents. They are not usually the best way of getting around a CAD map. Use zooms instead. In many cases a zoom extents, zoom window is much quicker than using the scroll bars.
2. Don't create any more multipolies than you need to - sometimes a green polygon with a blue polygon in it is better than a green multipoly consisting of two multipolies.
3. Type RDOFF at the command line. This will minimize redraws, however you may need to do a redraw yourself occasionally (Edit>Redraw). RDON turns redraws back on again.
Increasing redraw speed:
1. Hide layers which contain entities that you don't need to see while working (e.g. Mountains, Vegetation layer)
2. Many people have their display settings set wrongly. Your card may have Hardware acceleration and you may not even know it. Select Task Bar > Control Panel> Display >Settings > Advanced > Performance. Set Hardware Acceleration on full. If you don't get any problems then use this setting, however there are a few cards that have bad drivers & can not use full acceleration.
3. Your display card's manufacturer may have a new or improved driver at their web site.
4. Don't use the highest resolution your card will allow.
5. Don't pack so much detail into one map - chop them up - make smaller, regional maps.
6. If you are going to be swapping between CC2 and other apps, zoom to an area with nothing in it, do all the swapping you like, then Zoom Last when you return to CC2.
7. Avoid using splines & lines, use paths instead.
8. Don't over fractalise! FRX is a great tool, just use it with discretion. It does not make a lot of sense to heavily fractalise your world maps as most of the detail is not noticeable unless you zoom way in. Save this kind of detail for your regional or smaller maps. Add a level of detail to each division of your maps - as your maps cover smaller & smaller areas add more detail.
RE: [cc2-l] Redraws (and a few extra questions).
Date: 7/8/00 12:20:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Info menu >> Count & Info Menu >> List will give you information about entities you select. If the command line said 1 entity but List shows several items then you probably selected a multipoly or a group which can be a single entity but composed of many parts. List will tell you about all of the parts.
FRX - the higher the depth the more nodes you are adding each time. A depth of 2 is twice the number of nodes as a normal FRX, depth 3 is 4 times as many, depth 4 is 8 times as many & so on. Each increase in the depth is squaring the number of nodes, so a single FRX with a depth of 5 is adding a LOT of nodes!
You have to strike a balance between simple & complex symbols depending on what the intended use is & how often you might use them. If you make a really complex symbol but it will only be used once on a map, then that is usually acceptable. If you need to use the symbol a lot in the same drawing, then it would be better to make several smaller, simpler symbols. A good rule of thumb is that any single symbol should not be more than 10 to 20KB
Although a line & a path look similar, they are calculated differently by CC2. They are totally different types of entities. If you compare a line with a path that has only a starting node & an ending node then the line would draw faster, however in all other instances a path draws faster & takes up less room. As an experiment - draw a complex path, then copy it & place the copy a short distance away from the original path. Explode one of them, then use Info Menu >> Count to check both the path & the lines to see what the size difference is. Smaller draws faster.
As far as exploding symbols & redraws - this is dependant on the actual symbol & how many of them are placed & exploded. In some cases the exploded symbols will redraw faster because CC2 will not have to calculate each instance of the symbol, however this will result in a pretty big map if, for example, you exploded all of the trees. If you placed a complex symbol like a compass rose & then exploded it chances are it would redraw faster than if you just left it as a symbol.
Re: [cc2-l] Re: Here we go again ...
Date: 7/10/00 3:51:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Christof Wuttke
1) Draw the outer polygon (defined by the points of the bastions) on a temp layer. Either use the regular poly command or (if you want a specific length for the sides) use polar coordinates (typing '<' followed by angle and distance at the command line).
2) Decide on the bastion' angles as well as the length for the bastions' faces
and flanks. Draw the outlines of one half bastion starting from one of the polygon's corners inward using polar coordinates. Make a mirrored copy using the diameter of the polygon as a mirror line.
3) Copy the outline of your first bastion from corner of the polygon (endpoint modifier) to the other corners rotating it accordingly. If you have used a poly with angles dividable by 15 it's much easier because you can just hold down shift for rotating.
4) Connect the flanks of your bastions. Tada! you have the outline of the main wall.
From this point onwards it's only a matter of making chain offsets going inwards (you should use simple lines for everything an connect them by LTP later on). When making the outer works I just designed a singel one completely and then copied it.
RE: [cc2-l] New Macro: Trees
Date: 7/10/00 12:54:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
An individual entity in CC2 can display an outline as well as an interior color. Whether the outline is displayed or not is determined by the Outline setting for the current fill style in the Fill Style Properties dialog box. Usually the outline and interior color are the same, however they can be different colors.
When you use CC2's "select by color" editing option, it is the outline color that CC2 is using to find entities. Currently there is not a way to select by the second color, so writing macros for this is not possible. You pretty much have to CHANGEC2 & select each entity to change them to the entity outline color.
Re: [cc2-l] Text visibility problems
Date: 7/16/00 3:49:19 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Christof Wuttke
- Use lighter colors contrasting the background for the text.
- Use text outlines. Here's the procedure as Simon described a while ago
1. Add all the text to your map in the usual way on its own layer (non-outlined.)
Let's assume you use color 0 for this text.
2. Add a Text Outline layer.
3. Choose a unique color (255, or 15 if you are not using white elsewhere)
4. Copy to Layer all text to the Text Outline layer.
5. Change Color by Prior to the unique color (255 or 15).
6. Change Text Properties by Prior and change the setting to Outline Only.
7. Change Pen Width Prior (Edit > Change...) to 0.8 mm or whatever.
8. Change Layer Prior to Text Outline.
8. FRONT TYPE TEXT AND COLOR 0. (This brings the black text on top of the outline)
RE: [cc2-l] getting Large maps printed
Date: 7/27/00 8:47:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
Most printers will accept files in EPS format. To get and EPS format image:
1. Add a printer, an Apple Laserwriter NTX to your list of printers.
2. Print from CC2 to this printer, selecting the print to file option.
3. Give the file name the extension EPS.
4. Use Ghost View to examine the export and make sure that it looks OK. See http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
5. Zip it up and send it to the printer.
RE: [cc2-l] Loincloth symbol error
Date: 7/28/00 6:26:14 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Somehow those names are incorrect (they are too long). To fix them so you can immediately use then:
Open the MonsterMale.fsc catalog (File Menu >> Open & pick catalog from the drop-down list)
Catalog Menu >> Rename & Reorder >> Create Symdef Name File (give it a name).
Open this file (the LST file) in a plain text editor
Delete the last bit from the Loincloth names
Save the LST file
Catalog Menu >> Rename & Reorder >> Import Renamed Symdefs.
Save AS a catalog
Caution - do not move any of the names - just delete the extra part of the Loincloth name
Currently it is like this:
M Loincloth Ragged 2 31 M Loinc change this to M Loincloth Ragged 2 31
RE: [cc2-l] getting Large maps printed
Date: 7/28/00 2:55:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: John A. Tomkins
I've been doing some math on the numbers that I quoted and my answer would be, yes that does include shipping. ;-)
From: Brian A. Jones
Does that include shipping?
From: "John A. Tomkins" <gr8dm@acronet.net>
> I've spoken with my boss and he has agreed that I can use the plotter here at work to print large color maps. All I ask that I not be flooded with requests, my work comes first.>
> Here is the price list as we have worked out. I think you will find that it is far cheaper than going to Kinko's or any other service shop.>
> Bond Paper: $2.00 per sq. ft.
> Glossy Paper: $5.00 per sq. ft.
>
> We use a HP 755CM plotter. It has the standard 4 color setup and prints roll stock 36" wide by almost however long you want, up to 150 feet.>
[cc2-l] Modifying my Scroll Labels Catalog
Date: 7/29/00 3:41:43 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Chris Heismann
Well, I've been asked this question a couple of times now, so I thought I would post the answer here instead of to each of you individually. I'm not going to go step by step - you will need to have some familiarity with CC2's commands and defining symbols. I am using CC2 V6 - I don't know if this is possible with earlier versions.
HOW TO CHANGE THE SCROLL FONT:
1. Open up a new map using the Blank.fct template. Open my Scroll Symbols catalog.
2. Make a new grid for 10 units, 2 snap (this is important if you want your text centered exactly.)
3. With the grid visible and snap on, insert one of each of the length scrolls you want to make with the new font.
4. Explode the symbols you just inserted.
5. Using erase by layer, erase everything on the Scroll Text Layer. I haven't found a way to modify the font attributes of a text attribute in a symbol, so you have to start from scratch rather than trying to modify the existing text.
6. Define your default text attribute using the font you want and setting the metrics and justification as follows:
Height to 15 (you can fudge this for personal preference between 12 and 18 -
I found fifteen works best with the fonts I've tried.)
Angle at 0
Spacing at 100% (this is what works best for me - setting it to less will cram more letters in (at risk of overlap), setting to more will allow fewer letters)
Stretch to 1 (again, lower will cram more letters in, higher will allow fewer)
Most important! You must set the Justification to Mid Center. That is the justification that will center your text exactly in the scroll. Also, you have to define your default font BEFORE you insert the symbol text attribute.
7. Set your font color. (I personally prefer Black for all of mine, but color 31 works too and lets you decide on the color later.)
8. Set your current layer to Scroll Text. (This is necessary only to keep consistent with the way I have defined my catalog.)
9. In the Symbols menu, select Define Attribute. This will call up a window: I simply leave the Tag Text at "Text" and ignore the other windows. If you like, you can define the prompt and default text values. If you do not define a default value, whatever is in the Tag Text will be the default value. DO NOT check any of the boxes.
10. Once you click ok, you will be given a cursor. Locate your text in the center of the scroll and left click (note: I've found some fonts don't center correctly.)
11. Once you have defined the text attribute, from there it is simply like defining any other symbol - refer to your manual if you have additional questions. I have used the naming convention of size scroll then font name.
See my text file for more details on that.
If someone with some artistic talent wants to do a collaborative effort of a nicer background scroll, let me know.
RE: [cc2-l] getting Large maps printed
Date: 07/28/2000 5:55:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: John A. Tomkins
I've spoken with my boss and he has agreed that I can use the plotter here at work to print large color maps. All I ask that I not be flooded with requests, my work comes first.
Here is the price list as we have worked out. I think you will find that it is far cheaper than going to Kinko's or any other service shop.
Bond Paper: $2.00 per sq. ft.
Glossy Paper: $5.00 per sq. ft.
We use a HP 755CM plotter. It has the standard 4 color setup and prints roll stock 36" wide by almost however long you want, up to 150 feet.
So, if you would like to have your maps printed wall sized, let me know.
Price includes shipping
RE: [cc2-l] Re: Mayan Symbols - using dingbats to define symbols
Date: 08/01/2000 8:13:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
> I've found that the symbols replace the font letters in the thumbnail column after you place the first of these font-derived symbols on your map.>
I think that if you define the font in your map or template using Add Font, you will see the correct letters straight away. Another option would be to use the Catalog utilities in CA to edit the catalog and explode all the letters into multipolies. I think that you would not be able to redistribute such catalogs to people who did not have a licensed copy of the font.
[cc2-l] Mountains
Date: 08/02/2000 12:26:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Joe Slayton
This is a bit off-topic, so please bear with me a moment. I was looking at ways of specyinf mountain ranges and wanted to see if folks could make sense of a fairly simple way of drawing them. I wrote a small program that allows for drawing "mountains" in a raster image. Basically, left-click, drag the mouse around to get the general outline and release to draw the mountain. It should be fairly self-explanatory. Because it's just a test program, it doesn't save or load and only draws height as shades of gray. It also has some straight-line artifacts. The program is available at http://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/TPaint2.zip if you'd like.
Also, don't forget to check out the FT samples at http://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/mars/index.html if you're interested.
[cc2-l] CA cookies
Date: 08/04/2000 9:28:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
Here's a batch of undocumented features in Character Artist. You can access these by typing in the command at the prompt. They are not supported features.
SAMEAS--This command allows you to select an entity, then immediately start drawing another entity with the same properties. For example, select a Tree symbol on the Veg layer, see a Tree symbol cursor and start placing trees. Great for extracting and repeating text, too.
SAMEASOPT--Sets the options for SAME AS
FLOOD--This attempts to make a multipoly out of an enclosed area. Not reliable with complex areas.
MCHG--Allows you to change multiple proerties of selected entities
MCHANGEP--Change multiple properties to match selected entity
Symbol catalog commands
SHTSYMORG Set origin for visible sheets (useful if you want to redefine the insertion point of some, but not all symbols in a catalog.
Macro Commands
SAVESETTINGS-- saves current drawing settngs
GETSETTINGS-- Restores saved drawing settings
SGETNAME-- Retrieves current sheet into a macro variable
SHTSYMORGM-- Set origin for visible sheets macro version
GETDWGNAME-- gets current drawing name into a macro variable. (Use this to write a command that links to another map, links that map back to the parent, then opens the original map.
NOEXTENSION-- Removes the extension from a file name.
RE: [cc2-l] Symbol Catalogs
Date: 08/06/2000 7:30:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
OK - you need to Open the symbol catalog (as opposed to loading it) File Menu >> Open & pick catalog from the drop down list. DO NOT purge symbols while in a symbol catalog, unless you want to loose all of the symbols!
Now do Catalog Menu >> Create Catalog List File. When the new dialog box comes up, click on Pick & choose the location for the file & give it a name. Now set your parameters & click on Create.
Subj: [cc2-l] A Gem from the past....
Date: 08/07/2000 3:52:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
To make symbols that have the ability to change color involves using CC2's "special" color #31. There are a few considerations when using color 31. It must be at the back of all the other entities in the drawing - that is everything else must be fronted except color 3, prior to defining the symbol. Color 31 is a little difficult to design symbols with, because well, it changes color to the last color you were working with & if that happened to be black, it is very difficult to figure out what is going on :) I ususally pick a color like color #5 & use that for my color 31. When I am happy with the symbol, then I change color #5 to #31 & then front all>not >color #31
Also, you can not use line width greater than 0.0000 in symbols. Try to use paths & arcs as opposed to lines. Lines have more nodes - the more nodes, the more memory & the bigger (read - longer it takes to redraw) the symbols. In symbols, try to avoid using splines because they redraw very much slower than paths or polys. If you must group - only group entities that reside on the Symbol Definition layer (all parts of the group must be on the Symbol Definition layer) - same goes for multipolies - all parts must be on the Symbol definition layer (unless you are specifically looking for a special effect
Never explode "all" - this changes everything into lines - thousands of tiny lines that you can't do anything with :-) It easily quadruples the size of your file.
Also, try to "double" outline symbols - unless they are really memory intensive! If you use the outline macro to outline symbols, remember to explode the outline mutlipoly (if the original was a multipoly).
Ok - now for the second part - each symbol must have it's own, unique name. If you inserted mountain in the drawing to check the size & then defined your symbol & called it mountain - CC2 will just use the original mountain, because it was there first :) Also, when you define the symbols - they "disappear". Don't panic - this is normal :) Please use Save AS to save your symbol as a catalog.
[cc2-l] Printing Maps
Date: 08/07/2000 11:50:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: John A. Tomkins
Just thought you all would like to know that I have placed my price list for printing your CC2 maps on my web site. Please stop by and check it out, let me know what you think.
To print your CC2 maps, please stop by my web site for more information: www.acronet.net/~gr8dm/maps.htm
Re: [cc2-l] Commands
Date: 08/09/2000 9:32:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: L. Lee Saunders
The Fractal commands are:
FRX: The standard after-the-fact fractalizer
FRXM: The macro version of FRX
FPATH: The dynamic fractalize-as-you-draw-a-path command
FPOLY: The closed polygon version of FPATH
Re: [cc2-l] Making Arrows?
Date: 08/10/2000 3:02:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Anna M. Dobritt
In CC2 under the Draw menu, you'll find a listing for doing arrows. If you type in ASTYLE at the command line, you can select the type of arrowhead you want and change it's site.
Re: [cc2-l] Making Arrows?
Date: 08/10/2000 7:47:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Guy P Runkle
Draw -- Arrows -- Arc
You'll need to modify the line thickness and use Options -- Arrow Style to alter the line width and size of the arrow to be large enough to look like what you're talking about.
Re: [cc2-l] I little question
Date: 08/12/2000 2:45:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Troy Gustavel
I've been dealing with these same issues lately. You CAN use the end point modifier on a fractilised path, but you have to zoom in really close so that you can end point the very last line segment in the fractilised path. After that you can multipoly them normally.
--- Jdilling00 wrote:
> how would one go about creating a multi polly which had straight sides north and south bur fractalised sides east and west? I want to do the middle section of a peninsula.
Re: [cc2-l] I little question
Date: 08/12/2000 3:33:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Frongoid
> and second is there a simple or not so simple way to make another shape such as smooth poly exactly follow the fractalised coast line drawn previously? I want a mnt range to run right into the sea.>
Copy the multipoly, place it on a temporary layer (not merge!!). Freeze all other layers, then break the multipoly. Cut the lines to the desired shape (either trim and draw new lines, or adjust nodes), then re-multipoly it. Adjust the color and fill how you like, outline it if you want, then transfer it to the desired layer.
Re: [cc2-l] Antialiasing image files
Date: 08/14/2000 12:55:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Joe Slayton
Elwin Bloodfang wrote:
> Does anybody know how to produce a "full-sized" image output file from CC2 that is anti-aliased? The only way I have been able to approximate it is to save a bitmapped image file; open it in PSP; and scale it down by 50%. The resulting image is too small to be really useful and I haven't found any way to increase the size of the bitmap output file. Tips appreciated, thanks!
CC2 uses the Windows drawing functions, which are inherently aliased. Scaling as you've been doing is the only real way to do that. A recommended scale-down technique (parts in parentheses are how I do it):
1) Start with an image more than twice (or four times if you're feeling masochistic) as big as you want.
2) [optional] Apply a very slight gaussian blur (half-pixel for a 2x map, 1 pixel for a 4x map). The blur helps to keep single-pixel lines from dropping out during the downsampling.
3) Scale down by a bit less than half (60%).
4) Apply a slight unsharp mask (50%/ 1 pixel radius/0 threshold).
5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the image is the desired size. The last scaling probably won't be half, though.
The output size of the image can be set using the
File>>Conversion>>JPEG/PNG Options command. The first thing in the dialog box is the image size. I've been able to get images sized to 4096x4096 with no problem.
RE: [cc2-l] DINGBATS TO SYMBOLS
Date: 08/14/2000 1:56:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Halfling
> How does one convert a dingbat from a TrueType font into a symbol?
From the menu, TEXT -> Explode Text.
It's better to have a large symbol, and then scale it down to what you want- I've noticed on some fonts that it gets a little funny. You wind up with a single-color Multipoly, which you can then explode to modify.
RE: [cc2-l] CC2 Templates
Date: 9/25/2000 12:54:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Well, you could do it like this:
&File:
&New>:
Map:|CATALOG #Symbols\Cities\mycity.fsc;TEMPLATEM
#Templates\Cities\mycity.fct;NEW;
This would load the mycity template along with the mycity catalog when File >> New >> Map is selected.
> From: Chris Heismann [mailto:chris@heismann.net]
> Quick question for the list - Is there a way to set a default symbol catalog for a template? I want a particular catalog to load when a new document is created using a template I am creating.>
[cc2-l] here's another useful one
Date: 9/25/2000 1:14:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Insert >> Insert Picture. I always want my scans always inserted on a temporary layer so:
Insert Picture...:|GOLAYER TEMPORARY;PICT;
What happens here is, if there is not a temporary layer, then one is created, then set current & then the bitmap dialog comes up. Now my scan is always on the right layer.
Re: [cc2-l] Tips for scanning printed maps?
Date: 9/25/2000 1:24:33 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ian R Malcomson
>Does anyone have tips for scanning printed maps? The biggest bugbear I've run into so far is getting the scale 'right.' Any help would be greatly appreciated.
* Always scan in greyscale, unless colour is needed. Even if it's only a simple B&W map, use greyscale.
* 120dpi is good enough for most "scan for tracing in CC2" applications
* Try and ensure that the scan is as straight as possible
* Use "Insert Picture" from CC2 to get the map in
> Choose "Scale to fit just inside" and press OK
> Click somewhere within the map
> When prompted for a second co-ordinate, type "@A,B<enter>" (where A is the x pixel dimension of the map, and B is the y)
> Find a distance within the map you know the length of (e.g., space along a grid line; length of a scale bar; known distance between two cities or other landmarks; etc.)
> Use "Info -> Distance", and click along the known distance (having the ORTHO button down when measuring along a straight edge, such as a gridline or scale bar, is useful)
> Write down the value CC2 brings up (Hint: it is normally more helpful to use decimal number values for measurement distances here; go to "Options -> Units" to change this option if you need to)
> Choose "Edit -> Non-visual -> Scale"
> When prompted for the scale to use, type in a calculation that divides the known distance by the distance CC2 thinks this is, as recorded above. For example, if you measured the length of a 100' scale bar, and CC2 reported this as being 50.3972, you'd type in "100/50.3972<enter>"
> Either press <enter> again, or click in the drawing, to set the scale centre.
The map scan should now be scaled correctly.
One final trick with scanned maps: if the map has a square grid, and the grid is important as far as mapping goes (e.g., a dungeon map which has walls that follow grid lines), use "View -> Move Origin", and click on the intersection between two grid lines. All being well, the grid lines on the scanned map should now follow CC2's drawing grid.
Re: [cc2-l] Positioning things across roads.
Date: 9/25/2000 2:46:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ian R Malcomson
>I'm having some problems. In a city that I'm building, I did the roads for an area, then the walls. I want to put a portcullis so that it is perpendicular between two towers (created by using the citywall3 macro). Right now, I can't get the program to do it - it wants to put the portcullis so that it's parallel to the road and no matter how hard I try I cannot get it to line up between the towers. How do I turn off the "line up with the road" thingy?
The "line up with the road" thingy is CC2's SmartSym functionality, which is very useful at times, and a proverbial pain at others. To turn it off to stop it being a pain (for your portcullis, for example), right-click during symbol placement to bring up the symbol dialog (the one with the scale and rotation entries in it), and check the "Disable SmartSym" box. To turn it back on again, uncheck the box.
Re: [cc2-l] To Complain
Date: 9/27/2000 5:47:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ian R Malcomson
>Last night I opened up a map I started on last year. I do this every few months when I forget why I have never done much with it. First of all, there is no simple crop or box and cut feature.
The CC2 method of doing this kind of thing does afford greater flexibility. Granted, a "draw a box, and cut this out" feature would be a good thing to have, but:
* Draw a box around the area you wish to cut
* Use the BREAK command to trim the polygons you wish to roughly to the edges of the box
* Use TRIM TO ENTITY to bring the resultant paths to the box edges
* Use CMB ("Combine") to reconstitute the paths back into the polygons you desire
>Outlining the landmasses wasn't enough since there is no "fill" feature or a way I can determine for taking a drawn outline and making it a landmass with an automatic fill without having to tediously re-draw their edges as a landmass.
Change the fill style of the drawn outline to the fill you desire. No need to redraw.
From a solid-fill landmass poly, there are two methods you can use to provide an outline:
(1) Use the "OUTLINEB" function - the "Outline" icon. You can immediately do a Change Colour -> Prior -> select colour after that to get the outline into the colour you want it to be.
-or-
(2) Change the colour of the landmass to the colour you wish to use as an outline. Then select Edit menu -> Change, select "2nd Color" from the dialog, then choose the colour you wish to use for the solid landmass.
The advantage of (1) is that you can treat the landmass and its outline as separate entities (they *are* separate entities). For example, you could store the outline and landmass on different layers, and hide or show layers as appropriate to gain different map outputs - simple line (using the outline only), "blended" (using the landmass only), or landmass & outline.
The advantage of (2) is that you can treat both the landmass and its outline as a single entity (they are a single entity). There are one or two disadvantages to this method - for example, the landmass will, effectively, be recognised by the colour of its outline, rather than the colour of its fill.
A third method, which roughly duplicates method (1), is to copy the landmass from 0,0 to 0,0 (or Copy menu -> Copy to layer, etc.; for co- ordinates, you can type this information in at the command prompt – the blue-text bar at the bottom of CC2's screen), and change its properties (fill style, colour, etc.) as appropriate.
RE: [cc2-l] a macro request or help
Date: 9/28/2000 10:44:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
When printing to color printers, the best thing you can do is install the Color Profile for your monitor. This will help get you more accurate printed colors. Color Profile extensions are ICC or ICM. If you do a Find File & Folders & you don't find these extensions, contact your Monitor manufacturer (or the place you got your computer) & see if they have the Color Profile available. I've just installed mine from gateway & it makes a HUGE difference in how the colors print. To get the printer to use the Color Profile, access your printers folder (My Computer >> Printers), right click on your color printer & choose Properties. Now select the Color Management tab & you should have the option to Add a color profile. Locate the correct profile & click Add.
Re: [cc2-l] Help: Hidden Entities?
Date: 9/29/2000 8:16:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: John Csaky
Show Symbol Definition Layer and the layer you are trying to delete. If it has a Symbol on it you can not delete it. The other thing is to show all layers and type 'CS' which will fix some of the Fill patterns that may be defined on one of those layers. Then try the step above. Certain Layers you should not delete for they are needed for commands. I think the only two that are required are Merge and Symbol Definition Layer. These you do not want to delete.
From: Benkarl
> I have a map I'm working on and I have some layers I want to delete. They are empty as far as I can tell. I zoom way out. I freeze all other layers and select delete all. Either way, I show no entities on this layer. When I try to delete it, however, it says there are entities on it and it can't delete it. Is there some way an entity could be hidden so I can 't see or select it? What do I do to get rid of them?>
From: Linda Kekumu
This is caused by symbols or symbol fill styles having parts on different layers. To place all of the parts on the Symbols Definition layer, type in CS <enter> at the command line. CAUTION - do not do this if your map has City Designer symbols on it.
RE: [cc2-l] Extra Nodes
Date: 10/1/2000 11:16:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
CC2 needs to remember where the nodes were in case you want to use "undo" so, when you edit a spline (smooth path) this information is retained. If you use a spline & subsequently edit it - even if you split it or break it or whatever you do to it - CC2 keeps the original information as well as the current information.
The best thing to do is:
Use Edit & change the spline to a path by selecting the No Smoothing option. Do your editing. Then Explode the path. Use LTP to make the lines back into a path & then use Edit again if you want to convert the path into a spline.
The reason to go through the above is to effectively remove the extra "stored" spline information.
> From: Benkarl
> I have been using commands to break up entities. Usually split or break. I've noticed that if I do the CTRL-F command, there are still nodes out there that should be gone. I've also noticed that it's like there is some sort of invisible set of points out there when I start trying to edit nodes, connect to endpoint and things like that. Is there something I'm supposed to be doing to get rid of these extra points? How DO I get rid of them?>
RE: [cc2-l] Extra Nodes
Date: 10/2/2000 9:41:55 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
>
> Here's one for the wish list: A command to take a smoothed path and convert it into a non-smoothed path which approximates it at a user-selectable detail level (number of nodes used to simulate the curve). The reverse function should also be provided of course.>
Currently, the only way to do this is to Edit >> Explode the Smooth Path, then select Edit >> Transform >> Line to Path. I'm not sure what you mean about the reverse function. You can convert a path to a smooth path using the Edit command. You can also do Edit >> Transform >> Straight to Smooth.
RE: [cc2-l] Extra Nodes
Date: 10/3/2000 5:52:24 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
>
> What I'm talking about is taking a smoothed path or polygon and applying one command which will produce a non smoothed path or polygon which approximates the curve of the smooth one.
EXPLODE does this with LTP, and you can reduce the number of nodes to your satisfaction using REDN. Another way is to do an offset on a smooth poly with a displacement on 0.
RE: [cc2-l] Inserting Picture won't work
Date: 10/5/2000 8:46:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
It's likely to be a display driver problem. Insert Picture just uses standard Windows commands to display the picture. I suggest that you download the latest display driver for your graphics card and install it. If this doesn't work:
1. Take a note of the dimensions of the image. (let's assume 800x600)
2. Select Insert Picture. Choose the picture, stretch to fit.
3. Type 0,0 when asked for the first coordinate.
4. Type 800,600 for the second coordinate.
5. Select the Move icon, select by Prior, Do it.
6. Move the image as you want it, press CTRL to resize it.
> From: Troy Gustavel [mailto:troy_nevermore@yahoo.com] I seem to have a bit of a problem, I am trying to insert a bit map image to be traced. the procedure seems to go smoothly, but when I finish defining the box the image should appear in I don't get a picture, just a hollow box in the current color.>
> This occurs on all of the picture options except "Stretch to fit(may distort). Unfortunately, I need the picture to not be distorted.>
RE: [cc2-l] Sheets vs.Layers
Date: 10/17/2000 12:57:49 PM Central Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Sheets - try to think of sheets as pages of a book, but pages that are transparent & can be hidden or shown. Whatever is on the last sheet will always be at the FRONT of your map. For example you could draw the walls of a multi-level dungeon on a Walls sheet. Then you could place the fixtures for each level on separate sheets. You would not have to redraw the walls you'd just have to make sure the Walls sheet was visible.
Layers - think of a single page in the book with lots of elements on it. Each element can have it's own layer & you can arrange those elements in a specific order on that page. For example an overlapping circle, square & a triangle. There are several ways you can rearrange the stacking order of these elements on the page.
For cities, using a different Sheet for each district will allow you to Hide whole areas while still allowing you to work on other areas. If you were only using Layers & your map starts to get pretty big, you would have to hide some of the layers (otherwise the redraw is too long). Let's say you hide the BLDNG (HOUSE 1) layer. Now you move to a different section of the map - you can't place any more buildings on the BLDNG (HOUSE 1) layer unless you Show it. If you had made a Sheet named Market District & had placed the buildings on the BLDNG (HOUSE 1) layer, you could simply Hide that sheet & start working on the River District sheet - you would be able to have full access to the BLDNG (HOUSE 1) layer but not have to worry about the redraw because Market District is hidden.
> From: Beren
> I was wondering whta the advantages were of sheets over layers for the mapping of a city.>
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